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(No Model.)

P. W. NOLAN. Whiffletree Coupling for Vehicles.

No. 243,293. Patented June 21, 1881..

Fig-21.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK W. NOLAN, OF NEW YORK, N Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO HERBERT F.PALMER, OF SAME PLACE.

WHIFFL ETREE-COUPLING FOR VEHICLES. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,293, dated June 21,1881.

Application filed November 24, 1880.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PATRICK W. NOLAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented new and usefulv Improvements inWhifflet-ree Couplings for Horse Cars or other Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention is especially adapted to horsecars, but can also beapplied to other vehicles, as wagons, its object being to provide ameans for allowing the horses to step freely toward either side of thevehicle when it is desirable, as in the case of a sudden stop of avehicle in front of them.

It consists in the combination, with the platform of a car or othervehicle, of acouplingbar extending the entire width of the platform, ornearly so,'for the reception of the coupling device of a whiffletree,such bar allowing the coupling device to move to either side of thevehicle. With the foregoing is combined a latch adapted to retain thecoupling device at or near the middle of the bar, and a bolt acting onthe latch for locking the same, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is an inverted plan view. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinalvertical section.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the platform, B the coupling-bar, O the latch,and D the bolt.

The coupling-bar B is situated at the forward end of the platform A, andit extends the entire width thereof, or nearly so, while it has returnbends at its opposite ends, constituting stops to check the motion ofthecoupling device of the whiffletree, which I have represented as beingformed of a hook, E.

It will be readily understood that if the coupling device E is hitchedonto the bar B it is allowed to move toward either side of the vehiclewithout becoming detached.

The latch O is hung on a pivot, which, in this example, is formed by theshank of the bolt, about midway between the ends of the coupling-bar B,and the latch is bifurcated at its forward end, where it meets orcrosses the coupling-bar.

(N0 model.)

The bolt 1) passes through the platform A and through the latch O,forming a pivot for the latter, as before stated, and it has an upwardbend, F, Fig. 2, below the platform, at the extremity of which it entersa hole, 9, in the latch, to lock the latter in the line of draft. Aspring, h, is arranged to act on the bolt D, with a tendency to keep thesame in an upper or lockin g position, and at its upper end it isprovided with a pedal, 1', so that it may be depressed or retracted bythe foot.

hen the coupling device E is put on the bar B the bolt D is retracted,so as to release the latch C, and the latter is swung to one side, so asto allow the coupling device to be placed in the fork of the latch. Whenthis has been accomplished the latch O is swung back to its normalposition, thus. becoming locked, and by this .means the coupling deviceis retained opposite to the latch, which, as before stated, is at ornear the middle of the bar. If, however, the latch is then released, thecoupling device is free to move toward either end of the bar. The latchO is held in its lateral or open position by the action of a spring, k,coiled on a slide-rod, l, which is pivoted to the latch at one end.

It should be remarked that the couplingbar B can be used independentlyof the latch O and lock D, and in that event the bar may have ayoke-shaped bend at or near the middle to receive the coupling device E.The latch O and lock D, moreover, are capable of various modifications,which will readily suggest themselves to a skilled mechanic, and hence Ido not wish to be restricted to the precise arrangements thereof shownand described.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the platform of a car or other vehicle, of acoupling-bar extendin g the entire width of the platform,or nearly so,for the reception of the coupling device of a whiffletree, such barallowing the coupling device to move toward either side of the vehicle,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the platform of a car or other vehicle, and acoupling-bar extending the entire Width of the platform, or my hand andseal in the presence of two subnearly so, for the reception of thecoupling scribing witnesses. device of a whifflctree, of a latch adaptedto retain the coupling device at or near the mid- NOLAN 5 dle of suchbar, and a bolt acting on the latch I Witnesses:

for locking the same, substantially as described. W. HAUFF,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I E. F. KASTENHUBER.

